Brandon was quick enough to catch the rocking chair before Sienna landed, and its soft, gentle embrace prevented any physical harm. Yet, despite this, she still passed out.
As Brandon felt her breath against his finger, he frantically pondered how to rouse her. However, every attempt to reach out was thwarted by the realization that he couldn't assist her without making physical contact once more.
The insulation materials! Brandon's sudden realization sparked hope. However, they were in the surveillance office, and the only pair of insulation gloves lay in the lab they had just left.
Brandon's eyes darted between the slumbering guard and Sienna in the chair, ultimately deciding against leaving her alone with the man. If the guard awoke to find a student trespassing, Sienna would undoubtedly face disciplinary action from the school.
Moreover, Brandon somehow couldn't shake the discomfort of leaving Sienna alone with a stranger in an isolated room. But there was still a considerable distance to cover from their current location to the lab, and moving Sienna now proved to be a challenge.
Surveying the office filled with countless computer screens and cables, Brandon struggled to find a solution that would both isolate him from Sienna and aid in her transportation.
Then, a realization struck him - the rocking chair happened to have a set of triangular wheels! Brandon could use it to wheel Sienna to the lab.
Satisfied with the idea, Brandon positioned one leg to prop the door open while carefully maneuvering the chair and Sienna through the narrow doorway, ensuring neither of them was harmed in the process.
The corridor remained quiet until Brandon reached a turn that led him to the elevator. Just then, the first class bell rang, signaling to students to make their way to their classrooms.
Mornings on campus were always bustling with activity during the early sessions.
"Ah!" Brandon couldn't help but let out a small, annoyed cry as he spotted a cluster of students emerging from the elevator and heading toward him.
Acting swiftly, Brandon pulled the chair and Sienna back, hiding them behind the opposite side of the wall, allowing the students to pass by without noticing them.
The last thing he wanted was for anyone to witness Sienna unconscious and himself in what could be perceived as suspicious behavior.
When the corridor cleared once more, Brandon resumed his journey.
However, his luck quickly ran out when the staff elevator opened, and several teachers and professors stepped out.
With no time to hide the large object in front of him, he paused for a mere half-second, swiftly removing his coat to cover Sienna and the chair. As the staff elevator doors began to close, Brandon hastened his steps, moving with such speed that no ordinary eyes could track him. He passed by the group of teachers and professors and slipped into the elevator just as the doors shut behind him.
Unbeknownst to Brandon, one person in the crowd had halted their steps out of curiosity. Yet, such speculation lasted only for a fleeting moment.
Beneath the coat, Sienna's eyes made a slight movement as she began to regain consciousness, though not fully aware. Brandon, focused on navigating toward the lab, didn't notice any change.
Panting slightly, Brandon entered the access code for the lab and pushed the chair inside. Making a beeline for the closet, he retrieved a pair of insulation gloves, donned them, and hurried to Sienna's side.
Removing his coat and placing it aside, Brandon took a deep breath before carefully reaching for Sienna's shirt, intending to unzip it slightly to perform CPR.
Then, Sienna's eyes opened.
Between the haze of drowsiness, Sienna's vision began to clear, revealing a startling sight - Brandon Myles stood before her, his hands extended towards the area beneath her chin, fingers fidgeting with the zipper that began at her neck...
Realization struck like a bolt of lightning - Brandon was trying to take off her clothes!
"Ah!" Sienna exclaimed, leaping up and instinctively pushing Brandon's chest with both arms. Recognizing the danger of potentially shocking Sienna again, Brandon agilely sidestepped her.
Almost involuntarily, Sienna seized Brandon's coat lying next to her and hurled it over his head.
However, her efforts proved futile as Brandon quickly and firmly grasped the coat. Despite Sienna's vigorous struggle, she couldn't match Brandon's strength.
Realizing her disadvantage after a few moments, Sienna eventually relinquished her grip and surrendered.
"Okay, that's it!" Sienna snapped, her annoyance palpable. "We are not working partners anymore! Do you want to tell Brown, or should I?"
For some reason, Sienna felt her cheeks burning bashfully, a sensation stronger than humiliation, especially as her eyes met Brandon's. His blue eyes seemed abyssal, and as he was standing where he was, he was simply like an exquisite piece of sculpture against the sunlight that streamed in through the window.
"I won't tell Mr. Brown, because it's unnecessary," Brandon said calmly. "I was trying to do CPR on you."
"Hah!" Sienna scoffed, refusing to believe his explanation. "Why? Did I pass out because I was electronically shocked or something?"
"Yes."
"What?" Sienna's frustration instantly shifted to astonishment.
For a moment, Sienna found herself considering Brandon's words without immediately retorting. Amidst the haze of her memories, she vaguely recalled their mission in the surveillance office to apprehend the thief. She remembered seeing Allan Batman, and then her vision blacked out, coinciding with a peculiar sensation.
Her gaze drifted to Brandon's hands clad in insulation gloves, and her belief in his story grew stronger.
As a physics student, Sienna knew that performing CPR required removing any outer clothing.
With a slightly softened gaze, she looked at Brandon, who remained motionless where he stood. If he truly harbored ill intentions, he could have subdued her the moment she regained consciousness.
Perhaps, she considered, he was indeed telling the truth.
Believing this to be the case, Sienna felt herself instantly blushing. Unable to bring herself to meet Brandon's gaze, she muttered, "Sorry for being... rude."
Without uttering a word, Brandon nodded briefly.
An awkward silence hung between them for a while until Brandon broke it by asking, "What did you see on the surveillance camera that made you want to use the mouse?"
The mention sparked an enormous reminder in Sienna's mind.
Allan Batman! Yes, she remembered seeing him lurking around, and she needed to follow him to find out who the recipient of the note was!
"Well, I need to be off, and I'll come back for the robot and everything else later," Sienna said hurriedly, then hastened out.
Watching the door shut, Brandon couldn't help but frown slightly. He hadn't received any concrete answer from Sienna about her intentions, leading him to believe that she was trying to distance herself from him due to resentment over what had just happened.
Trying to dismiss this seemingly insignificant thought, Brandon removed the insulation gloves. His gaze paused as it fell upon the wristband that came into view, reminding him that he had lost yet another 2% of the battery.
-
In Professor Jason's office, Brandon recounted what had occurred. Jason conducted an examination and concluded that, aside from a slight loss of battery, Brandon was essentially okay with other parts of his system.
"Well, as I've told you, there are many other girls in the world," Jason smirked, packing away the tools into the special case.
"But I had to work with her for the contest", Brandon thought, though he didn't voice it aloud.
"Have you tried insulation gloves?" Jason asked, noticing that his earlier comment didn't seem convincing to Brandon. He began to suspect that Brandon might have some special attention toward this Sienna girl, more than he himself was aware of.
"Thought about it, but failed before I could prove it," Brandon answered plainly. Jason scrutinized him carefully, then nodded in a lengthy, understanding way. "You were taken as the impolite offender, weren't you?"
Brandon was somewhat surprised that Professor Jason could have deduced the situation to such a degree.
It was remarkable how someone could possess the ability to read emotions like ordinary people, a skill Brandon hadn't sensed since his transformation.
The truth was, before he was transformed into his current state from a regular human, he hadn't even spared a thought for emotions and sentiments.
He had never been interested in further exploring this realm.
"You can apologize, or say something sweet to clear the misunderstandings" Jason suggested, dusting the thin layer of stain on the desk. "You can send messages, in case you aren't able to do so verbally. You have her number, don't you?"
Brandon remained silent. Yes, he did. He had obtained it from the note.
"For the contest," Jason added, attempting to spare Brandon any further embarrassment.
-
As Brandon walked out of Jason's office, he found a spot for himself at the pavilion in the corner of the campus. There, he clicked on the wristband and retrieved the number he had saved under Sienna's name.
Next, he took out his phone, a device he rarely used, with only four contacts saved: Professor Jason, his parents, and himself. He typed out the text message and clicked send, without including his name below.
At this very moment, Allan Batman, who was checking back and forth outside a classroom, received a text from an unknown number.
It read, "Thank you for the breakfast. And I didn't mean what I did."
Instantly, Allan Batman's face lit up with exaggerated glee. He backed away from the classroom, cheering with a voice barely contained, face turning excitedly red.
"She responded!"